The construction of the log cabin proceeded in full swing. In the blink of an eye, a month passed, and the structure was complete.
Evelyn Ford took Wyatt Vaughn and Joelle Finch to work on the road, while the others took charge of finishing the cabin’s interior.
The path from the cabin to the shore wasn’t very long. But with the cold weather and heavy morning mist, the ground had become extremely muddy and easy to slip on.
"Evelyn, why don’t we cut some weeds from the shore and spread them over the path? If we cover up the mud, we won’t slip."
"First, let’s fill in the potholes and level it out. Then I’ll spread some dry earth on top. You two can pack it down tight, just like laying a concrete floor."
She had a large stockpile of dry clay in her storage space, originally intended for planting vegetables. But ever since her space had upgraded to include the black soil, the clay she had dug up was no longer necessary. It was perfect for paving the path.
The three of them worked as fast as they could to patch the path. Then, Evelyn Ford pulled five bags of dry clay from her storage space.
"Evelyn, where did you get this?"
"Corinth."
Wyatt Vaughn was practically worshiping Evelyn Ford. "Evelyn, you’re so cool! This ability is just badass!"
Joelle Finch snickered beside them, and Evelyn’s mouth twitched. "Don’t pick up Quincy’s bad language."
Wyatt Vaughn quickly mimed zipping his lips. "Not another word. I’m a civilized man."
Evelyn spread the dry clay onto the path, and Wyatt and Joelle followed behind, using shovels to tamp it down. Once the clay was packed tight, the path was no longer muddy or slippery to walk on.
They only ended up using three of the five bags. By the time they returned to the cabin, the others had already finished the kitchen. The stove was an old-fashioned, rural-style wood-burning one, which would save electricity and gasoline.
A fireplace was installed in the living room, and the master bedrooms were all equipped with heated brick beds.
It had to be said that the log cabin Ethan Dawson designed was far more professional than Evelyn’s own plans would have been. He had achieved the best in both appearance and practicality.
"The cabin is a single story, but it has two concentric rings. I incorporated the ’tulou’ architectural style from Trellis, so the whole building is circular. The outer ring contains the bedrooms, while the inner ring holds the living and dining rooms. At the entrance to the outer ring, there are two bathrooms, one for men and one for women. The kitchen is over here—it’s about twenty-five square meters, so it’s very spacious. The outhouse is two hundred meters away from the cabin, but we can build a covered walkway to it for convenience."
Everyone was dumbfounded. "Ethan, are you a professional architect?"
"I’m not a professional architect, but I felt a ’tulou’ style would provide a better sense of security and be more resistant to danger. Based on my calculations, the cabin can withstand a magnitude-10 earthquake and Force 12 winds."
"The roof is shaped like a mushroom cap, so even when it snows, it won’t be able to accumulate."
"Oh, right. I also set aside a room in the inner ring for the wolf-dogs. Evelyn said she wants to let them out to guard the house."
After Ethan finished his explanation, everyone looked at him with awe and admiration.
"Also, there’s a screening room next to the living room where we can watch TV or read. Beside it is a tea room. Everyone can use these spaces as you see fit."
Taylor Vance raised his hand. "What about the hydroponics room? Weren’t we going to grow vegetables?"
Ethan smiled. "The hydroponics rooms are in the outer ring. There are eighteen rooms out there, which is more than we need for living. The spare rooms can be used to grow vegetables and cultivate mushrooms."
"Of course, the chicken coop and duck pen are in the backyard. Once the ducklings get a little bigger, they can follow the path back there down to the creek for a swim."
Everyone had spent the last month building the cabin piece by piece, so they knew it inside and out. But hearing Ethan’s explanation made them feel like it wasn’t just a simple cabin—it was a luxury estate.
From the bedrooms and study to the bathrooms and animal pens, everything was perfectly planned without a single oversight.
"Evelyn, pick a date for our housewarming, and we’ll move in."
They had all been living in their vehicles. Though the cabin’s main structure was complete, the finishing touches still needed to be done. It would likely take another week to get everything ready.
"Seven days from now, we’ll have our housewarming and move into our new home." Evelyn made the decision, and everyone began to applaud.
The next few days were another flurry of activity. Evelyn and Ronan Kendrick had already picked out their room. It contained not only a heated brick bed but also a fireplace. Once they moved in, Evelyn planned to add a table and a sofa to furnish the space.
The day of the housewarming arrived quickly. The weather was fairly nice; much of the fog had dissipated. A clanging sound echoed from the highway in the distance. Evelyn let out the two wolf-dogs, as well as Mina, Blackie, Lola, and Red Bird.
In the early morning, thick smoke rose from the kitchen chimney, instantly giving the small island the warm, lively feel of a home.
"As we enter our new home, may we be free from disaster and illness, and live in peace and safety from this day forward."
After Taylor Vance finished the blessing, Wendy and Zoe each set off a party popper.
With a few loud POPS, colorful streamers burst into the air.
Each person held an item symbolizing good fortune as they entered the new cabin one by one.
Once they were inside, the real moving began.
After they finished moving all the pots, pans, quilts, and clothes from the vehicles, Evelyn stored the RVs in her space.
It wasn’t until three in the afternoon that they were finally settled in. Then, everyone began to slaughter chickens and butcher lambs for the feast.
Evelyn also brought out a few bottles of liquor. It was a good day, one that called for a celebratory drink.
In the living room sat a marble coffee table Evelyn had salvaged from a high-end club. A fire roared brightly in the fireplace. Zoe chased Mina around the room, her laughter so loud it felt like it could blow the roof off.
The dining room held a large round table with thirteen chairs, and its own fireplace was also crackling with burning firewood.
Evelyn tied on an apron and went into the kitchen to help, while Ronan and Ethan assembled cabinets in the screening room.
"How many dishes are we making tonight?"
"Roast leg of lamb, stir-fried lamb with scallions, lamb stew, Big Plate Chicken, roast duck, braised pork belly, cabbage and tofu soup, and steamed sea bass. Eight dishes, for good luck."
"Alright! I’m definitely eating my fill tonight."
"Seven meat dishes and one vegetable dish. Not bad, not bad at all."
At six-thirty, all the dishes were ready. Peter Owens and Quincy were in charge of bringing them to the table.
"Dinner’s ready!"
"Coming!"
Evelyn untied her apron and walked to the dining room. Two bottles of milk had been placed in front of Wendy and Zoe, while everyone else had a small cup of liquor.
Once everyone was seated, Taylor Vance, as the patriarch of their group, prepared to say a few words.
"I don’t really have much to say. Let’s all just raise our glasses, and then we can eat."
Everyone chuckled and raised their glasses.
"Bottoms up!"
Evelyn and Ronan exchanged a smile and downed the liquor in their cups in one go.
"It wasn’t easy. All the stops and starts, surviving life and death... it took us ten years to finally reach Frelia."
They had all endured the ten most difficult years of their lives.
"From now on, our big family will live well and face whatever comes together."
This meal wasn’t just a celebration of their new house; it was a celebration of their new life.
This place was a new beginning, a new home.
After dinner, everyone was a little drunk. Alcohol tends to make people sentimental and emotionally vulnerable.
Quincy said he was afraid of being separated from everyone.
Ethan Dawson thanked this big family for accepting him.
Taylor Vance said he would live his life to the fullest.
...